Now Prez Kim Gandy on Palin (and she makes a good point)
The following is a quote from Kim Gandy, President of the National Organization for Women (NOW) of which I'm a proud card-carrying member. Her reflections on the sexism that has begun to surface about Sarah Palin's choice are well-taken, especially her last paragraph.
"I feel for Palin, and for all women struggling to be taken seriously in a man's realm; the desire to have people discuss your policies, not your hair or hemlines; the conviction that you have every right to raise your family as you see fit, including taking on a demanding job outside the home; the entirely reasonable expectation that you are the peer of your male colleagues and deserve the same treatment and opportunities that they receive.
If only the commentators and Republican talking heads complaining about the treatment of Palin had had the same reaction when Hillary Clinton was on the receiving end of sexist pundit pronouncements.
These struggles will continue for Palin and Clinton and all the women that follow them, if the media continue clinging to their outdated notions of gender stereotypes and rigid sex roles. We can get them to stop, but we have to do it together. The media are nothing without us -- their viewers, readers, listeners-so we have to make sure they hear us loud and clear.
Why? Because we should defeat anti-women's rights candidates like Sarah Palin based on their merits and their positions, not their gender."
Gandy's worthy statement in its entirety can be found here: http://www.now.org/news/note/090508.html
"I feel for Palin, and for all women struggling to be taken seriously in a man's realm; the desire to have people discuss your policies, not your hair or hemlines; the conviction that you have every right to raise your family as you see fit, including taking on a demanding job outside the home; the entirely reasonable expectation that you are the peer of your male colleagues and deserve the same treatment and opportunities that they receive.
If only the commentators and Republican talking heads complaining about the treatment of Palin had had the same reaction when Hillary Clinton was on the receiving end of sexist pundit pronouncements.
These struggles will continue for Palin and Clinton and all the women that follow them, if the media continue clinging to their outdated notions of gender stereotypes and rigid sex roles. We can get them to stop, but we have to do it together. The media are nothing without us -- their viewers, readers, listeners-so we have to make sure they hear us loud and clear.
Why? Because we should defeat anti-women's rights candidates like Sarah Palin based on their merits and their positions, not their gender."
Gandy's worthy statement in its entirety can be found here: http://www.now.org/news/note/090508.html